


Liberté, égalité, fraternité

by risinggreatness



Series: Circle 'round the sun [16]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2014-09-27
Packaged: 2018-02-19 00:03:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2366861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/risinggreatness/pseuds/risinggreatness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After failing to execute Order 66, Rex is exiled to life on the run</p>
            </blockquote>





	Liberté, égalité, fraternité

It grieves Rex when Cody follows through with the promise of a court martial. He thought Cody was made of more than obeying orders. He thought they all were.

He hopes Commander Tano made it. He caught a glimpse of her charging towards the unit as his gun was snatched from him, put in binders, and shipped off to HQ. The rest of the 7th has their work cut out for them, going up against her.

Tano is Skywalker’s student; constantly at his elbow. He couldn’t really want her dead.

The first thing they have him hand over at the holding facility is his uniform. He doesn’t mind; it’s just plastoid. Better it than his pride.

He pauses before giving up his helmet. It’s saved his life more times than he cares to count. Before the guard can object, he whips out the utility knife he keeps in his boot and carves one last tally mark. He survived the tour on Felucia; what comes after is uncertain.

“Melt it down and make a new one. Give it to a green trooper.”

His cellmate leans forward, head in hands, when the door locks behind him.

Rex asks, knowing the answer full well, “What they put you in here for?”

The trooper looks ill. “Refusal to carry out an order.”

“Same.”

The trooper continues, not making eye contact with Rex. “It was awful – they shot General Secura in the back maybe a hundred times.”

Rex feels as queasy as his cellmate. General Secura dead. In the back too – bunch of nerfherding cowards. He thinks back to Commander Tano. If Skywalker wants her dead, there’s little chance left for the rest of them.

Jedi calling for dead Jedi isn’t the only thing that frightens him.

“We can’t be the only two who disobeyed.”

“We’re not. I overheard one of the guards saying a few troopers refused to execute General Mundi. Commander Bacara had them shot on the spot.” He pauses and looks up at Rex, “Who was your Jedi general?”

“ _Is_ , as far as I know – I suppose you heard it was Skywalker who put out the order? I got lippy and they locked me up. They might have gotten his padawan, though.”

“They’ve all gone mad.”

Rex nods in agreement. Clones killing clones; brothers killing brothers. Dissention will come fast in the ranks and the Grand Army of the Republic will fall to pieces. So much for the Seppies.

His jaw pops; it still hurts. “What’s your name, soldier?”

“Sergeant Left… ‘cause I’m the only one in my unit who prefers my left to my right.”

He extends his left hand to Rex. He takes it and introduces himself, “Captain Rex.”

“Some king you are, landing yourself a court martial.”

“Not the first one, either.”

He wasn’t going to die for Krell then; he sure as hell isn’t going to die for Skywalker now.

Humanity isn’t programmed at Kamino; it’s learned on Felucia and Saleucami; Ryloth and Umbara. Humanity teaches many things: loyalty and compassion and brotherhood. And humanity does its damnedest to survive. It’s selfish and everything a soldier shouldn’t be, but Rex doubts they consider him one anymore.

He won’t die for the Jedi; he’ll survive for himself, for troopers that remember what they are; who they are.

Left speaks, bringing Rex’s attention back to him. “I wonder what they’ll give us for our final meal.” He has already accepted defeat. For the first time in his life, Rex is not.

“Well, I’m not sticking around to find out. Come with me?”

Left looks bewildered. “You mean breaking out of prison?”

“We’ve done it countless times: for Jedi, for GAR officers, for politicians; doing it for ourselves shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Yeah, but we were outside the cells before.”

Damn it, he’s right.

\----------

Clones were never seriously considered by the higher-ups in the Republic, so little thought went into their battle HQs. Rex is grateful for the oversight.

One guard comes to deliver dinner; Left delivers a mean hook at a break in the armor. The guard goes down with a short, sharp exhale. Rex grabs his key card and his gun.

“Ration cubes? Couldn’t give us something a bit fancier? And why would they care if we took smaller shits now?”

“Less of a mess to clean up later?”

Security cameras watch their every move, but they know the lay of the land. They hide in odd corners, preferring Left’s fist to the gun Rex picks up. The objective isn’t to kill; they try not to think what will happen to the troopers for letting them escape.

They swipe several more guns; Rex doesn’t know where his knife went. They do not take armor. Too heavy for life on the run.

An awkward squeeze out a window and they slip into the wilds of Felucia.

They are free.

\----------

They knew what to expect at HQ – beyond it is different. Getting off-world is their second challenge. The cargo hold they stow away in is cramped and everything rattles too loudly; exactly like landing shuttles. They are noticed as they try to sneak off.

As they dodge shots and run, the realization hits Rex – he is a deserter. Worse, he is leaving behind the only family he knows. He tells himself he saved one man, but there are thousands more.

He thinks of Lawaqaune. His farm is remote; hopefully he will remain there in peace with his own family.

They do not save thousands, but they do save some: Tic, who sleeps lightly; Bear, who speaks too loudly; Isis, who runs fastest. They cannot travel in large numbers. Civvies distinguish them, but their faces identify them everywhere as former soldiers.

Each one of them has asked aloud at least once, “How long can we carry on?”

Wanted notices go up for Jedi who eluded execution. They have higher prices on their heads than stray troopers. Generals Unduli and Kenobi’s stay up the longest. Unduli’s fate is unclear; Kenobi allegedly loses a duel to a new Sith Lord.

Bear and Isis come back one night with rations and news.

“They’re phasing out production of troopers – well, not exactly. Phasing _us_ out.”

Tic shrugs, “Makes sense. War’s over, no need for soldiers anymore; certainly not _defective_ ones.”

Isis shakes his head, “But that’s just it – they’ve got a new template for troopers. The Empire needs someone to enforce their rule. Can’t use Jedi ‘cause they killed ‘em; can’t use us ‘cause we might mutiny.”

Rex wonders how long it’ll take the new troopers to realize they’re men, same as their predecessors.

Bear speaks. “Well I don’t –”

A blaster shot comes from behind and he slumps forward, dead.

They run; it is who they are now.

\----------

Over a year later and only Rex is left.

Isis runs straight into a squadron. Left doesn’t die because he’s a clone; he’s accidentally hit by a speeder. Tic and Rex split up once to find transport to another planet; Tic never shows at the rendezvous.

Rex is left. The new stormtroopers corner him behind a dingy bar on some sad excuse of a backwater planet.

He tried. He tried to serve the cause and his brothers. The cause failed him and most of his brothers failed him, but he did not fail himself.

“Make it quick and try not to miss.”

He doesn’t know their faces look like.

**Author's Note:**

> See author bio for discussion on this 'verse.


End file.
